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I'm quite lazy when it comes to eyeshadows, well to be honest I'm not good at applying them nicely in the first place and that's why I'm so fond of these stick eyeshadows. Essence's are probably my favourite (or tied with Kiko's), but I simply swipe the colour on the lid and quickly blend it - that's it for my everyday look. I wear it in combination with an eyeliner and this eyeshadow helps it not transfer into the crease. She's got the mauve is a mix of purple-mauve, taupe and brown, so it looks great on my grey eyes. Big plus is no shimmer, unlike Kiko's shades.

This is one of my golden standard favourites like Milani's Romantic Rose, so a shade that goes with everything because it's a fairly neutral type of colour. It's a natural or muted pink shade, the name definitely doesn't fit quite right because on my skin tone I don't see any mauve tones. It's supposed to have a glow as well, but it's very subtle in form of a fine violet shimmer which makes it cooler.

REVLON Ultra HD Matte

Devotion

I keep putting this in my favourites, but it's so nice. I love the formula, even though it's not really matte and it smells great, so I just keep reaching for it. My shade is Devotion which is a warm, muted pink shade that also has quite nice staying power. I've recently started looking into getting more shades, maybe Seduction or Embrace.

MY BEAUTY DIARY Natural Key Series Facial Mask

Black Pearl (Brightening)

In my last favourites I raved about The Face Shop Disney Snow White mask, which is a limited edition and I've since found pretty good dupe for it. The sheet is thinner than others I've tried and it's again very saturated, but this one to the point that is actually drips when you're taking it out (also because it's wrapped in an additional foil). The essence is very light, non-sticky and absorbs quickly, plus it smells like-lilies-of-the valley, so I loved it even more. The effects were basically exactly the same as at the Snow White mask - my skin felt incredibly soft, it was hydrated, healthy looking and more even (not in a way that it erased old blemish marks, but that the redness was less pronounced). I'll be buying more of these, especially since they are cheaper than Snow White version's, though I picked up two more of those before they are gone. I ordered from a Taiwanese seller on eBay called house_of_fashion.2013 and it arrived in 10 days, plus I got an additional mask.

It might be a bit weird to include a product I've only tried samples of, but I bought a pack of ten on eBay (seller korea-cosmetic-samples, arrived in 17 days) and one lasts several applications, so I really had a proper chance to test it. For my first test, I used this on one side of the face and Cosrx Snail Muncin on the other and after about four days, I could already see a significant improvement in my skin texture on the side I used this essence. The pores appeared smaller (nothing drastic, they just weren't so gaping as they have been for the past three years), the skin was smoother and it just looked better. Even foundations applied so much nicer on that side of the face - it was so strange to see just how much skin care is capable to do. This is my first time trying essences and I ordered/got samples of more different ones, so I'll be testing them in the future, but so far I can say they are seriously amazing type of products, but this one is the cheapest I've tried and it's really good.

I've already said a few times how much I love LOVinity nail polishes, but since my nails are so strong and healthy, everything lasts really well on me and my recommendations in that department are fairly irrelevant. Though, these have such a lovely and smooth formula, it's just a joy to apply them. But I recently got sent the SpectacuLIGHT Gel Top Coat, which I think it's permanent and I got an incredibly long wear from that combination. It was weeks, but again that is irrelevant to you, still it might help you get an extra day or two and for some that's worth it. It also didn't make my nail polish go darker in time or start to flake off like it happens when I wear Seche Vite for a week, but it's not as shiny or quick drying.

I should have bought this years ago, but it's so crazy to drop 22 € for a hand cream that I never got it. Its only when desperation set in after a ton of manual labour plus my skin being so dry at the moment that I caved in. And now I don't even think it's that crazy expensive because the tube is truly massive. It's the only decent cream I know off that is fantastic for dry skin, but at the same time doesn't leave your skin annoyingly greasy for long. It's a very thick, rich shea butter based cream with a lovely nutty scent, so I really enjoy using it. My hands are much less dry after using it this past month, so I don't even need to use hand creams that much anymore. I have a lot of L'Occitane hand creams, but only these with 20% shea butter are the real deal.

For the last couple of months was trying to get my Clio liner to start working properly, but I gave up in the end, ordering this one because it's very affordable online and it's been pinned on my Pinterest wishlist for ages waiting for its turn. It's a classic liquid pen eyeliner with a felt tip applicator that's very similar to L'Oreal's Perfect Slim. Now that it's new, the formula is very fluid and black. I can be precise with it, though when drawing the main line, the top edge could be a bit smoother. Flicks can be drawn with it, but I'm so out of practice after not being able to draw flick with Clio, I always mess them up and L'Oreal's Superstar is better for that task. So far I like it and find it's a good liner for the price, but we'll see how long it lasts.

Salma, 5.21 €

*FREEDOM Pro Artist Pad Extreme Vice (Animal) Eyeshadow palette

I've said a few times that I'm not the biggest fan of these Freedom/Makeup Revolution/ whatever brand's eyeshadow palettes, but actually this one isn't so average. It's again mix of quality, but the bottom two rows are just fantastically pigmented, so I'm pleasantly surprised. I swatched all 48 eyeshadows and I've been using the palette almost daily in March, so here are the most important observations:

1. There are too many what I call "nothing shades", so skin toned shades only used for blending.

2. It's overall a very cool toned palette. You get plenty of taupes, greys, some purple browns and a third of the palette is dedicated to colourful eyeshadows, but no gold or chocolates, even though it may seem there are some when you look at the palette. That's why I find the leopard print packaging confusing.

3. The bottom row performs brilliantly, it's super pigmented, even the matte eyeshadows are amazing, but the rest is kind of meh, though useful

4. The best colourful eyeshadow is that top right green one, I've never seen a better performing bright green shade.

5. Primer is highly recommended with these or even better a cream eyeshadow as a base.

6. The shape of the packaging is kind of cool, like a tablet computer, but the mirror is completely useless because it's like those funny mirrors at carnivals.

Overall a decent palette with some good performing eyeshadows, but keep in mind it's more for those who like cool toned shades.

This swatches beautifully with a finger, a cool toned rosy-champagne shade and it looks like it'll give a subtle, but nice glow to the skin. Unfortunately, no matter how dense the brush is, I can't get it to show up on the skin and there is very little glow from it. So I apply it with fingers and like that it actually looks like a blush on me - weirdest thing ever. The colour is like the sun got me a bit, not bronzy, but somewhat naturally tan/a bit sunburned. It's subtle though. It's a strange one, but I don't hate it. I tried using it as a all-over glowy veil, but it's again not the most visible product, you get a very gentle radiant effect. Maybe it's just the top layer that's hard and won't show up well, but that will be revealed with further use. Petra reviewed another shade Ever Glow Lights and it looks like a much better highlighter to me.

I don't use powers, especially now that my skin is dry, so I've already give this away, but as soon as I swatched it, I disliked it. It's chalky and I wore it just once, but it looked fake on the skin, though it mattified well.

Every brand is coming out with (at an least updated) colour correcting product (s) and L.O.V. decided on a concept of 2-in-1. My version has a green concealer for neutralising redness and a peach concealer for under the eyes to neutralise violet/blue circles. Another version exists with a violet-peach combination. The pigmentation on both sides is very weak no matter how many layers you apply and though that shouldn't be the worst thing for a colour correcting product, neither of the sides work at neutralising. The formula is somewhat greasy, so the product doesn't stick to one place which makes the application even harder. The amount of product you get is very small and the formula is soft, so the sticks already smooshed to the sides during applications. The green is a spring green shade, more yellow that others I've tried and peach is a pale peachy-pink lipstick type of shade, but despite layering, it quickly blends out to nothing. Both sides can be screwed off which might mean you can buy refills.

10.99 €

*L.O.V. COSMETICS 3IN1 Prime & Fix Spray

As you can read from the bottle, this promises to act as a makeup base, a setting spray and a makeup refreshing spray. The mist isn't the finest, but it's still ok and it leaves a very dewy finish even after it sets, so if you have greasy skin, stay away from this. It sets in a couple of minutes leaving no stickiness or strange feeling, but as I said it looks very shiny, like your foundation either never set or your skin is starting to look oily. I'm not the greatest fan of it any my skin is currently dry. In the description it boasts with the claim it contains coconut water, but it's on the 11. place among ingredients, which isn't something worth bragging about, but it's meant as a moisturiser (the spray contains glycerine and vitamin E before on the list). The scent is a chemically cosmetic type and noticeable only at application.Ingredients

10.99 €

NAILS

*L.O.V. COSMETICS LOVinity Nail Lacquer

191 Rich Raspberry

I already have two shades of these and to me these are some of the best nail polishes. This is one of the new shades for spring, but it's again quite a classic colour, as is the rest of L.O.V.'s range. Rich Raspberry is a just as the name suggest a warm fuchsia shade and I wore it for three weeks in April.

5.99 €

*L.O.V. COSMETICS SpectacuLIGHT Gel Top Coat

The name says it all - it's a gel top coat designed for LOVinity nail polishes and it promises to turn them into a gel-like formula, so shinier and more long-lasting. No UV light is needed. I was updating you on Instagram Stories about this, but I managed three weeks of wear with zero chips, just tip wear and nail growth - honestly I was too lazy to change it and it still looked passable, otherwise I change it once a week. But that me and my very strong nails - I'm a special case whose opinions about nail polishes you can simply disregard. However, I did test it in combination with an Essie nail polish and I got a chip after a week and a half, so this top coat works best with L.O.V. nail polishes. While I like it a lot, it's purely because it adds staying power, but it's not the best at quick drying time.

6.99 €

SKIN CARE - FACE

BIOBAZA Exclusive Micellar Oil

I really can't believe I'm saying this, but this is not the same oil that I got in that 20 ml sample I based my raves on. The texture is the same, the scent too and the name as well, however, this does not behave the same way as I got used to when using the sample. I have no idea how that is even possible. The sample I got and lasted me a good month and a half of use and it formed this fantastic thick, luxurious feeling emulsion that was so much like my favourite L'Occitane Almond Shower Oil. But this full size emulsifies into a thin milky emulsion and not matter what I try, that's all I get. It still works the same, meaning it removes makeup well (mascara needs some more effort) and it works well with my skin, but I can't help myself being a bit disappointed and mostly very confused. And it's not like I used up the sample months ago and forgot how it really behaved like in the time before buying this. I used up the sample one day and right on the next day started using the full size and it's just not the same thing.

Regardless of that, it's an affordable oil that works well with my skin, so I do still like it.

DM, 12.95 €

BIORÉ Deep Cleansing Pore Strips

My jaw dropped when I saw this in my local drugstore. I've been planning to order them on Boots ever since Sanja praised them (I trust her recommendations). I've tried several such strips and a most don't work on me, so I was drawn to these because they have a cult status in the beauty community. You get a lot of patches, 14 in total, 7 nose strips and 7 "face strips", I always cut the latter into two so I have them for the chin and forehead. I've used them in combination with COSRX BHA Blackhead liquid which I've been told loosens the dirt in the pores so it's easier to pull out. These are so far the most effective such strips I've tried. There was a lot of those white bits from the pores on the patches and even from the sides of my nose where no strip ever did anything. However, as much as it got out, my pores still looked exactly the same - darkened and visible. They work, but I didn't see a difference.

Müller, 7.99 €

CADEAVERA Young Mousse au Chocolat Maske

I remember once having a Schaebens chocolate mask which was also edible and while I thought this is the same, checking the ingredients I saw it's a very regular moisturising mask. It contains glycerine on the 2. place and a bit later on the list nourishing cocoa butter, panthenol and surprisingly caramel. It looks and smells exactly like chocolate mousse, so you can't quite decide whether you look like you fell face first on a cake or in mud, but don't try to eat it because it's not real chocolate like that Schaebens one. This one needs to be washed off, even though they say to just wipe it off with a tissue. Cute, but very messy.Ingredients.

Müller, 0.45 €

EBELIN Microfibre Glove

This is a repurchase and I finally updated the price for you - it's not 6 € like I said in one of my new ins. I guess there has to be another version because I found the price online after losing my receipt. It's one of those micro fibre cloths that promise to remove makeup without water or soap, but of course it doesn't work that way, however it's a similar cloth as Emma Hardie's, just without the muslin side. The fabric is super soft, like those for washing windows and it's excellent for removing balm and oils as a part of the cleansing routine. It's shaped as a small glove which I find convenient too. I've had my other one for a few months and so far it washes well. It only got darker, but it's still soft.

DM, 2.99 €

BALEA Vital Creme Reinigungs Tücher 3 in 1

Just don't buy these. These are quite possibly the worst wipes I ever bought. I got them because of they promise to "entfernen von wasserfestem Make-up", so to remove waterproof makeup - these aren't capable of removing even the most basic makeup, let alone waterproof one. They are so dry, you get almost no remover on these and you're scrubbing your face with a slightly damp towelette. I got these for removing swatches and for liquid lipsticks you need a powerful remover, but these just do nothing. A complete miss buy.

DM, 1.99 €

SKIN CARE - BODY

DOVE Nourishing Secrets Glowing Ritual Shower Gel

With lotus flower extract & rice water

I love Dove shower gels, especially the Coconut Milk one, so I was excited to see new scents joining their regular line. They have lavender (smells authentic), coconut (a proper version that actually smells like coconut, plus a body cream exists too) and I think one is with avocado oil, but I haven't seen all yet. I picked Glowing Ritual with lotus flower and rice water which has a lovely, neutral floral-creamy scent.

DM, 2.49 €

BATH & BODY WORKS Body Mist

Mango Mandarin

I'm very intrigued by BBW brand, probably just because it's similar to TBS and another brand I can't get (we have Fruttini which is about the same deal, but I'm bored at just looking at their section of the stands), but a few months ago Salma started stocking it, overpriced of course, but I decided to pick up at least one thing in the name of brand exploration. I expected it to be a Victoria's Secret type of product and that is exactly what it is - a generic, fruity body mist that lasts two seconds on the skin. I picked Mango Mandarin because reviews on Fragrantica said it smells like TBS Satsuma, but it's not that close to it. Yes, there's mandarin, but it's not as fresh and juicy, instead it's more artificial. There is also mango present that gives it more sweetness, but it's only noticeable in the first burst. While the bottle is massive, it's actually the same size as VS sprays, so 237 ml. I'll use it up, as I needed something for spraying randomly anyway, but it's nothing special. I should have picked up something with amber or vanilla that would have better staying power.

Salma, 16.10 €

L'OCCITANE Hand Cream 20% Shea Butter

I've had this on my wishlist for years, but never got it because I rarely used hand creams. Now my skin is different and I keep reaching for hand creams. L'Occitane's are the only ones that are doing something and don't leave my skin annoyingly greasy. This is a thick, rich cream that's fantastic for visibly dry skin, but it absorbs in a couple minutes. The scent of this one is pleasant, a bit nutty and clean, to me it's a very unisex scent. I wish they had the Vanilla Bouquet in this big size too since it's my favourite, but I love the scent of the original too. The tube is massive (150 ml), so even though it's very expensive, it doesn't seem that much when you see how much you get. I don't like the packaging, though. It's too clumsy, the cap is abrasive when you try to open it and the metal packaging will be a problem when this gets more empty.Ingredients.

A repurchase and a desperately needed one at that. I used up a bottle back in 2016 and it was so far the most effective anti-dandruff shampoo (at me that means it removed the dandruff and got rid of the itch, but it's always only for a few days at a time, then it all returns. I've never been able to actually heal dandruff, no matter what I try and trust me I tried a lot). I bought the version fordry hair last time, but that one unfortunately stopped working after a few uses and did little apart from drying my hair with long term use, so I'm returning to this one and I just hope it still works for me. It's got a strange scent of burned rubber, but you get used to it and it foams well.

Salma, 6.90 €

MATRIX Biolage Sugar Shine Polishing Hair Scrub

Much to my shock my beloved Matrix Scalp Synch scrub was discontinued. That was one of the rare products that worked in completely purifying my scalp and removing dandruff built-up. So I'm looking for a replacement and fast. My top choice is the newest L'Oreal EverFresh Micro-Exfoliating Scrub Rinse-Out Hair Treatment, but I can't find it anywhere, while I found my second choice L'Oréal Paris Elvive Phytoclear Anti-Dandruff 1 Minute Exfoliating Scrub only on Feel Unique, but I refuse to order from them, instead choose to wait if maybe it'll be sold here. So I found this on Salma and placed my hopes in it, even though it's meant and a shine/product detox system. It's like a body scrub, it's literally like a usual sugar scrub for the body. I felt a bit cheated when I first opened it because the texture is the same as of the scrubs I make at home, so a harsh sugar scrub with an oily base. However, it did work really well - it scrubbed the scalp really well and it wasn't too harsh or irritating. Surprisingly it's not even hard to use and apply, plus it rather easily washes off (the sugar melts anyway). Even when I was rinsing it off, my hair wasn't a tangly dried up mess as I expected, instead the hair felt silky and the shampoo I used after it, foamed a lot better than usual at first wash. I really like this, even though it's meant for restore shine by removing all the product build up on the entire length of the hair, but it worked the same as their discontinued Scalp Synch meant as a dandruff treatment and my hair feels really nice at the moment, sort of more airy. Still I'll try to make my own version once I use it up. The scent is gently citrusy sugary.Ingredients.

Another repurchase. I use up a lot of conditioner/mask at once since I have such dry, coarse and long hair (I calculated once it's about 25-30 ml), so I bought a 500 ml pot that will hopefully last me a while. I had the regular size of this and it's one of the better hair masks on the market for my type of hair. It nourishes it, leaves it silky as I'm rinsing it off (that's the sign of quality for me, as most don't) and leaves it in good condition. I still need to use a ton of leave-in products as with all hair masks, but it provides a good base.

Finally, someone offers sample sizes of hair masks. I've made so many bad purchases for my hair, so my one wish is that every brand made testers of their products, even if you need to pay for them. I've never tried anything from Schwarzkopf Professional, so this is my first impression of the brand and I'm not sure about it. This pot lasted me one use and I wasn't too thrilled about its effects when I was rinsing it off because my hair still had that squeaky clean feeling which usually means I won't be able comb the hair easily, but when I was dying my hair, it looked pretty good and even after three days, I'm not rushing to apply additional oils or leave-ins. Not sure it's worth the purchase for me though, I prefer L'Oreal's. The scent is classic salon one, just kind of clean.

Salma, 1.90 € (30 ml)

L'OREAL Elseve Oil Luxury Express Conditioner Double Elixir

I never heard a word about this, but it attracted my attention as soon as I saw it in DM. I've been on a hunt for an Orofluido Sahara replacement which I discovered has been discontinued (great, another one *rolls eyes*), so I hoped this was a similar dry oil in spray that works as a quick fix for dryness and adds shine. But I was disappointed as soon as I tried it. Though it's made out of two different liquids that need to be mixed, so a regular water-based conditioner and the oil on top (like those waterproof makeup remover), it doesn't feel oily at all, instead it's like a regular leave-in conditioner that makes your hair feel wet. Not at all what I hoped for and what I read from ingredients. This just goes to show just how much the percentages of ingredients are important. I think it works better on damp hair before drying, but it's nothing special. The scent is the same as the rest of the line, somewhat like cinnamon, but in a cosmetic sense. I think it's so light, maybe even those with hair that gets greasy fast could use it instead of a proper conditioner just on the ends.Ingredients.

DM, 2.89 €

*L'OREAL Elseve Extraordinary Clay

Purifying shampoo, conditioner and clay mask

I was sent the range for oily hair with dry ends and if you read me regularly then you know my hair is never greasy, just very dry, so I opted not to try these, especially the mask. However, Beautysaur already tested these and posted a positive review, so given that she's in my opinion one of the most trustworthy bloggers out there, it's probably a good line for greasy hair. I had the anti-dandruff version of shampoo and I really liked it because it wasn't at all drying, but it didn't help with dandruff, still finding a good non-drying drugstore shampoo is a challenge.

The Purifying shampoo and conditioner both contain 3 fine clays to degrease, but they also promise to nourish the ends. The clay mask is the stand out in my opinion because it's something new in the drugstores. It looks like a clay mask for the face and you apply it on dry hair before washing and leave it on for 5 minutes so it absorbs all the extra oils. The promised result is that you won't need to wash the hair for three days. All smell lovely, something like Fructis.
I'm just waiting for L'Oreal to bring out the new anti-dandruff Phytoclear line in Slovenia. I'll be all over that for sure because it contains a scalp scrub and a scalp lotion.

I'm all about matte lip colours, though preferably in liquid lipstick form, but I'm not picky. Avon's Matte lipsticks gained a lot of praise last year, so they ended up on my list to try and Petra being the great person she is, gifted me the shade I liked most for Christmas. The moment these touched my lips I realised the formula is incredibly similar to Milani's Matte which are some of my favourites. The colour range is pretty bright, so I'm missing more natural and medium rosy shades, but this shade Ravishing Rose is a dupe for Mac's All Fired up lipstick.

Texture: This has basically the same formula as Milani's, which means they feel somewhat silicone creamy, almost like a primer meets lipstick and the finish is nicely matte (one of the best for regular lipsticks for sure). It glides on the lips with ease, easier than Mac's matte lipstick and it doesn't catch on the patches. To me it's not drying, but almost nothing is ever drying to me, so I really can't say if these will be drying to some, but they are not moisturising and they get more matte in time. I find Mac's Fired Up less comfortable to wear than this one.

Colour: Ravishing Rose is a pinky-red type of magenta shade. I've compared it to Mac's All Fired Up and they are almost exactly the same, right down to the finish. Another dupe or at least a matching lip pencil I found is Kiko's 709 Magenta. Petra swatched all the shades here.

Staying power: I can't say the staying power is outstanding, but it's decent (about 4+hours. Honestly I rarely look myself in the mirror throughout the day, so I can't be precise at describing these thing). I'm used to matte liquid lipsticks that tend to survive anything, so regular lipsticks are less impressive to me. One thing I have to warn you about these - they smudge. Once I wore this a couple of hours, then I needed to run some errands and was shocked when I checked myself in the mirror, because the lipstick was smudged and a more than a half was missing. And I didn't even eat a lot.

Scent: These have a pleasant fruity scent, sort of a candy version.

Packaging: The tube is rubberised making it similar to Nars', but that also means it collects dirt a lot. It has a clear window at the top which is very handy.

Price and availability: regular price is set at 8.50 €, but Avon often has good offers.

I like these, especially the finish because it reminds me so much of Milani's Moisturising Matte which I love. You get a great matte finish and pigmentation, but Avon should really think about adding more natural looking shades.

I often say that this a foundation that I can rely on. It's one of rare ones that looks very natural on the skin (coverage is light-medium), it doesn't look weird over pores, doesn't feel heavy and it works no matter in what weird mood my skin is. The shade is a bit too dark and yellow for me, that's it's only minus, but it has so many other pluses that I always keep a bottle in my collection.

This was pretty decent. It wasn't as luxurious feeling as Emma Hardie's or as good as Balance Me, but my skin enjoyed and played nice while I was using it. The ingredients are lovely, but it's thicker than other balms, it's also more waxy and it doesn't melt as nice under the fingers, but it cleans the skin well enough, though surprisingly for a balm that "removes makeup like no other" (their words), removing mascara isn't its forte. The scent is very blah, like wax or cheap crayons, which might appeal to those who dislike heavily scented skin care.

This is a good cleansing oil, but I find that from L'Occitane Immortelle's version works better with my skin. It removes makeup well, leaves my skin nourished, but with no residue. The scent of this one was better than the hay scent of Immortelle. It can only be open for three months before it expires.

If you asked me a couple of months ago if I'd repurchase this, I'd scream yes, but now I'm just not sure it's as impressive as I thought. I think my standards were very low because stuff we have here is very basic. It's a great hydrating mask, there's no doubt about and it fixes dehydrated skin completely overnight, including heals dry patches. But that's all it does, it's hydrating and it never made my skin look great like some other products I've tried recently. It's a skin care equivalent of a duct tape - it's a good temporary and quick fix. But it's cheap, easily accessible and it works, so I recommend you try it if you have dry patches and dehydrated skin.

This is just a very simple argan oil in a pretty bottle which holds only 30 ml and is very overpriced. You can easily get it cheaper, though this one doesn't have that strong argan scent which some dislike. I used it for everything - face, hair, body, hands, it's a normal oil that can be used for fixing dryness. It's good, but alarmingly overpriced for what it is - an oil you can get at the food section in supermarkets.

Repurchase: No.

NAILS

EBELIN Nagellack Entferner

Loved the packaging of this (it has one of those handy pumps), but this was drying to my nails. Also it's not particularly strong.

Repurchase: Since it's one of the cheapest, I probably will, but it's lame.

Just a classic Balea shower gel that is as basic as it can get, even when it comes to the vanilla scent. But the packaging is so adorable, I couldn't resist. Balea created an ironic version called Bye Bye Unicorn featuring two dinosaurs and I hear it has the same scent. By the way I still saw a few bottles of unicorn version in my local DM.

Repurchase: No.

YUMMY Wild Things Shower Gels

Sexy Boost

Another basic shower gel, but the scent of this one is very masculine to me, so I didn't use it up myself. The scent is earthy-spicy, I mostly smell cardamom.

This is one of the very rare dandruff products that actually does something and I just discovered it was discontinued which broke my heart. It at least temporary removed all the dandruff build-up on my scalp and let it breathe a bit. It's basically a scalp scrub, neither gentle or too harsh, and it does its job.

Repurchase: Yes, but it's discontinued. I ordered their Sugar Shine scrub as a possible replacement.

One of my favourite hair masks and another product I discovered that has been discontinued, leaving me with a broken heart for the second time. But all is not lost because Absolut Repair Lipidum works the same, it only doesn't smell as nice. These two are the cheapest salon brand masks I've found that work like more expensive products and manage to handle my very dry hair (though I still need to add a lot of additional hair care products, but they provides a good base). The replacement Nutrifer is silicone free and I never got along with such products, so I'm not sure I'll be trying it.

Repurchase: I definitely would, but it's been discontinued. I ordered Absolut Repair instead.

For a drugstore hair mask, this is a nice one and I bought a few in a row so far. It's lighter in texture than what I'm used to when it comes to hair mask, but it's nourishing enough when my hair isn't very dry (mostly in summer months). But when my hair is very dry, this isn't enough and I have to use salon brands.

Petra got this for me - she says it's her favourite drugstore conditioner and I think it's really good too. It's the conditioner you get with Olia hair colours, but apparently these are sold individually too (I still haven't seen these myself in Müller, but they are on Boots international) and it's basically designed to help the hair recover after colouring as well as give it more shine. It was nourishing enough for my hair and my hair felt nice after use, however, it was still a drugstore quality product and it didn't do quite as much as salon treatments.

Repurchase: Yes.

K-BEAUTY SKIN CARE SAMPLES

(for reference my skin is combination dry with normal a T-zone and dry cheeks. Spots are rare, but I have blackheads)

Best, purchase-worthy and intriguing:

COSRX Galactomyces 95 Whitening Power Essence - I love this. It's a like a thicker toner with no particular scent. I decided to approach testing by doing a half-half, meaning on one half of the face I used this and on the other the COSRX Snail Mucin, so I could see the result more clearly. After a week on the Galactomyces side the pores appeared much smaller, the skin was smoother and just in general looked much better. Foundations applied like a dream on that side, which actually made me reconsider some foundations I previously disliked. I'll try the Secret Key Essence next to see if I like it even more, but if I don't, this will be one of my next purchases.

Purchase: Yes. Full price: $16

INNISFREE Daily UV Protection Cream Mild SPF35 PA++ - I immediately loved this. I hate most sunscreens, but this doesn't feel like one at all. It has 100% mineral filters and it's a light lotion that takes little time to absorb, leaves only a bit of tackiness on the skin that is not at all annoying, it doesn't leave a white cast, it can be layered easily and it didn't irritate my eyes like Sun Dance's does. It smells nice, somewhat sweet floral - familiar, but I can't place it. SPF 35 seems fine to me considering I rarely spend long in the sun. It was a nice base for makeup, it left a satin type of finish and it wore nice though the day. For my dry skin on its own it felt like I need an additional moisturiser under it, but for the summer it'll be perfect. Ingredients.

Purchase: Yes, but I'd like to try some more sunscreens. Full price: $9

TONYMOLY Prestige Jeju Snail Cream - I really loved this sample. The texture was lovely, it's a medium thick cream that sinks in a few minutes, though there is a slight layer of the moisturiser left for a while. It felt nourishing and it has a very gentle, pleasant scent. In the morning my smile lines looked reduced and you know how you usually wake up with creases from the pillow? Well with this my skin looked a lot fresher. It's very expensive and I'd love to have a few more samples to see if it impresses me long term (I stretched mine to three uses), but I'm very tempted by it.

Purchase: Yes, but I'm getting more sample first, a pack of 20 is about 4-5 € on eBay. Full price: $48.73

LIOELE Rizette Magic Whitening Cream - A moisturiser with vitamin C that promises to brighten the skin. It's a medium thick cream that needed some extra time to sink in and has no particular scent. I noticed my skin being brighter and more even, so I liked it, but it's expensive.

Purchase: Maybe, again I'd like more samples first. Full price: $29.73

Lioele Triple the Solution BB Cream - I liked this at first try. The colour looks scarily too dark for me, but because it's got a neutral/grey undertone, I felt like it blends in well (I might be imagining it). It looks beautiful on the skin - natural, doesn't emphasise pores and it covers about a medium. I wish the shade were lighter, but I really like this.

Purchase: It's too dark, but I love the texture. Full price: $20.50

COSRX AHA 7 Whitehead Power Liquid- Very similar texture than the their famous Blackhead liquid which I own a full size. I used it when I got a big spot on my chin, and it diminished it, basically helped it not become the infected monster it usually does, so I like it.

Purchase: If my skin goes haywire, this will be first on the list. Full price: $13.50

TONYMOLY Panda's Dream White Magic Cream - I love how this one makes my skin look, it just looks better. It's a light moisturiser with a strong, but nice powdery scent and a type of finish that is like a sunscreen's white cast, so it actually gives that very temporary whitening effect, but it disappears quickly, however, the skin looks more even.

Purchase: Yes, but I bought the sleeping pack first, if it ever arrives (first parcel got lost, as it appears all parcels from RoseRoseShop do). Full price: $11.24

Nice, but I'm not completely convinced

COSRX Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence - As I said I tested this along with Galactomyces on the other side of the face and I just don't get the hype. So many people swear by this, but I see no visible results. It's a milky type of lotion product with a kind of a strange texture that is a like a viscose liquid, but I didn't find it gross or anything. It also has no particular scent. It leaves a very smooth feeling on the skin, almost like a light silicone primer. After a week I noticed no major differences then when I started using it. My pores looked equally horrible, my skin wasn't smoother and my smile line looked the same (it was slightly smaller looking on Galactomyces side), in terms of hydration which this should help most, I didn't see a difference between the other side. However, my neck got sunburned one day (I'm too cheap to use sunscreen on the neck too, bloody idiot) and I applied a generous coat of this since it has repairing abilities and by morning it was gone.

Purchase: Probably not, but I have plenty of samples to give it more chances. Full price: $15.20

COSRX Advanced Snail All in one Cream - This is like a thicker version of the muncin, so a moisturiser with a similar texture that leaves a smooth, primer-like finish. It has no particular scent. I tested this alongside with the Honey Overnight mask, again each on one side of the face. During testing a few spots appeared and though I at first suspected they were hormonal, they most likely weren't, so it's possible this breaks me out a bit. In terms of positive effects, I saw no major differences apart from my skin being more hydrated, but I can get that with a normal moisturiser.

Purchase: Probably not, but I have plenty of samples to give it more chances. Full price: $ 16.80

COSRCX Ultimate Moisturizing Honey Overnight Mask Nourishing Overnight Spa Mask - This was nothing like I imagined, though I was aware it doesn't have a honey scent, I expected a thick, white cream and this is a gel type of product. I expected this to be very moisturising, but my skin almost wanted more. It's more like a regular moisturiser to me and I could easily even use it under makeup. In terms of effects, I didn't notice anything important.

Purchase: Probably not, but I have plenty of samples to give it more chances. Full price: $ 12.80

BANILA CO. Miss Flower & Mr. Honey Cream - the smells of this is incredible. If you ever had any the original honey products by L'Occitane from almost 10 years ago (or that short lived shower jelly from mommy and baby LE two years ago) this is exactly the same - a proper, "dunking your nose into a jar of honey" scent. Unfortunately, it doesn't last long on the skin. The texture is thick, almost more like a balm, which my dry skin really enjoyed. It took some time for my skin to absorb all of it, in fact a filter of produt remained for hours which I didn't mind, since my skin needed that. It healed a dry patch and my skin was less dry after those three uses I could squeeze out of a sample. I primarily like it for the scent because in those three day I didn't feel my skin was as good as with other products I've tried.

Purchase: I ordered the essence oil from this line, if it ever arrives (again RoseRoseShop appears to be terribly unreliable, as three parcels from them didn't arrive). Full price: 37$ (for 70 ml)

SULWHASOO Snowise EX Cleansing Foam - I've tried several Korean cleansing foams and none I liked, but this one is already more acceptable. The texture is so gorgeously creamy, it washes off completely just with water and it didn't irritate my eyes horribly, like all the rest I tried. However, while my skin felt more comfortable than with others, after a few minutes my skin started to feel tight, like using regular soap, so I needed to moisturise quickly.

Purchase: Maybe. I like it has a low pH and the texture is great, but I don't like the tight feeling. Full price: $38

COSRX Low pH Good Morning Cleanser - I don't know what I expected from this, it has so many good reviews, but it was a regular gel cleanser. It foamed very well, better than others do, however, like at all gel cleanser I started feeling tightness in about two minutes and that's when flakes start forming on me, which is the reason I switched to oils and balms.

Purchase: Probably not. Full price, $8.80

IT'S SKIN Power 10 Formula WR Effector - These come in many versions, I got a sample of the anti-wrinkle one. It's a light gel like consistency that absorbs very fast. Based on three uses that I stretched the sample too, I can't say I saw any significant improvement on my skin.

Purchase: No. Full price: $9.43

SU:M 37 Water-Full Deep Effect Ampoule - For the price tag this has, I didn't find it anything special. It was just a very light serum. I'd probably need more samples to really test it, but so far it didn't convince me.

Purchase: No. Full price: $122.50

Lioele Super Gold Snail BB Cream SPF50+ PA+++ - I read reviews about this before opening the sample and they were overwhelmingly positive, but when I tried applying this the first time with fingers, it felt strange, too heavy and obvious. However, when I used up the rest of the sample with my big oval brush I got a flawless result, a nice healthy glowy finish, medium coverage and it looked great over pores. Big minus for me is the shade, which is way too dark for me (maybe NC 30-35 with a warm undertone) and during the day it worsens the look of my smile lines.

Purchase: It's too dark, so no. Full price: $17.83

Lioele Intensive Time Reversing Snail Cream - I was hoping this will be similar to TonyMoly's Prestige Jeju Snail cream, but it's much lighter, almost like a lotion and it didn't have such an impressive effect.

Purchase: No. Full price: $30.38

Nopes

INNISFREE Green Tea Cleansing Foam - I love the texture of this, but sweet mother does it hurt if it gets into the eyes. Serious this is the most painful product ever. It's a not a foam, but a cream that doesn't foam with water and it washes off completely unlike most such products I tried. It smells nice, inoffensive.

Purchase: No. Full price: $8.68

INNISFREE Jeju Volcanic Pore Cleansing Foam - A very similar texture to the green Tea one, but luckily this one didn't hurt so much. However, despite being a cream, it felt drying, like gels normally do on my skin.

Purchase: No. Full price: $8.59

SKINFOOD Rice Water Bright Cleansing Foam - Exactly the same as Innisfree foams, so an absolutely lovely creamy texture, but leaves the skin squeaky clean, on me meaning dry and it hurts like a bitch when it gets into the eyes. The scent is lovely, just powdery clean.

Purchase: No. Full price: $8.68

THE FACE SHOP Dr. Belmeur Foam Cleaner - I swear every Korean foam cleanser I tried is the same - gorgeous creamy texture, but drying to my skin and irritating to the eyes.